Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in Atlanta

Tom Petty appears tonight at Arena - By my friend and AJC Staff Writer, Tony Wilbert

When Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers take to the stage for tonight's concert at the Arena at Gwinnett Center, it will mark the 35th time I've seen the band live.
I've traveled coast to coast to see Petty and the Heartbreakers, rivaled only by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and Aerosmith for longevity among American rock 'n' roll bands.

While Springsteen often is hailed as a working-class hero, Petty appeals to rock's Everyman.
Petty, 52, postures, dances and urges the audience to sing along throughout his concerts. And his backers, the Heartbreakers, are one of the tightest rock groups around.

I first saw Petty in the summer of 1980 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. I was a 15-year-old high school freshman.

Petty made a lifetime fan out of me that night.

He has put on many memorable shows over the 23 years I've seen him. But the June 2, 2001, show at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas ranks first among the Petty concerts I've seen. Petty played loud and hard that night, and then he got married the next morning.

I've never met my guitar hero, but I've talked with him on the phone.

During summer 1991, I got through to a call-in radio show where Petty was taking calls from fans. When my turn came, I stumbled a little and asked Petty how he would like to be remembered. He was quick with a succinct answer that went something like this: "Like Roy Orbison once said, 'I just hope I'm remembered,' " Petty said.

I taped my one-question interview, and I listen to it every now and then. My wife can't believe I still have the tape around. She'll be with me tonight when Petty plays his first show in Gwinnett County. I'll make a Petty fan out of her yet.

As for the near future, it's off to Nashville for the show Saturday night, No. 36 and counting.

• Tony Wilbert is a staff writer for the Business section of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.